Vitamin D slows aging

In a new report on the large-scale VITAL project, researchers from Mass General Brigham and the Medical College of Georgia have shown for the first time that regular vitamin D supplementation can slow telomere shortening. This means that it can partially slow down the biological aging of the body.

Previously, it has been suggested that vitamin D affects the aging process and inflammation, but there was not enough evidence on a large number of people. VITAL was the first long-term experiment of this level, which involved more than a thousand Americans over 50 years old. They were divided into groups: some received a placebo, while others were given 2000 IU of vitamin D3 per day. In all participants measured the length of telomeres before the start of intake and after 2 and 4 years.

The result was clear: those who took vitamin D shortened their telomeres much more slowly than those who drank the placebo. The difference was equivalent to almost three years of biological youth. That is, the cells remained “younger” than they would have been under normal conditions.

Interestingly, another popular nutrient – omega-3 – in this experiment showed no noticeable effect on telomere length. Although it was previously suggested that fatty acids may act in the same direction.

According to experts, this mechanism may be related to the anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin D. Chronic inflammation is one of the key factors in aging, and reducing its levels helps keep cells healthy for longer.

The main conclusion sounds promising: targeting vitamin D intake may be an affordable way to maintain inner youthfulness. However, the authors emphasize – for the recommendations to become official, additional confirmation and observations in other populations are needed.

Nevertheless, for those who care about health as they age, this discovery may already be a reason to reconsider their attitude to this simple but important vitamin.